The present invention relates to an optical connector device having two optical connectors, and more particularly to an optical connector device having a shutter and a switch mechanism for the shutter.
For example, an optical connector device having a shutter and a switch mechanism for the shutter is disclosed in JP-A 2004-177417, JP-A 2002-243978, and JP-A 9-211264.
The optical connector device disclosed in those references has two types of optical connectors including a first optical connector with a shutter and a second optical connector matable with the first optical connector. In the disclosed optical connector device, when the first connector is mated with the second connector, the shutter is pushed down and thus opened by a housing of the first connector. From the viewpoint of the structure of the shutter, a portion of the housing of the first connector that is located near a ferrule of the first connector is used to push the shutter.
As described above, since the portion of the housing of the first connector that is located near the ferrule is used to push and open the shutter in the disclosed optical connector device, the ferrule may be brought into contact with the shutter so that an end surface of the ferrule is damaged.